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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. current — electric
  5. branch — a division
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stock — shares
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stock — goods
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — clothes
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com